Apparatus for cleaning with solvents



Oct. 22, 1935. c. F. DINLEY 2,018,648

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WITH SOLVEN'IS Filed Oct. 1, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet1 WITNBSES: v INNTQR: ammzwe FDmu/y,

Oct. 22, 1935.

C. F. 'DINLEY APPARATUS FOR CLEANING WITH SOLVENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed 001:. l, 1932 n the cleaning of wire, preferably with solventssuch as indicated above. When my apparatus is used Patented Oct. 22,1935 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR. CLEANING wn'n SOLVEN Clarence F.Dinley, Detroit, Mich., asslgnor to James H. Bell, Philadelphia, Pa.

' Application October 1, 1932, Serial No. 635,791

- 3 Claims. My invention relates to treatment with solvents for suchpurposes as cleaning and degreasing, etc.,

and particularly to the use of volatile solvents. An apparatus for thispurpose is set forth in U. S. Patent No. 1,771,698, granted July 29,1930, to George Wolff as inventor, wherein the use of volatile solventswhose vapors are heavier than air is described, such as benzine, benzol,and particularly chlorinated solvents like carbon tetrachloride andtrichlorethylene, whose vapors are entirely uninfiammable. I aim toimproveand facilitate such treatment with solvents, making it moreconvenient and effective, "and better adapting it to industrial use.Another object of my invention is to provide advantageously for forwire, a numberof separate lengths or ends of wire can be drawn directlyand continuously through it without any provisions for conveyance exceptguiding means such as grooved rolls, while for cleaning other articlesor material, a conveyor system (as of sprocket chains and work carriersor containers) may be used.-

I have hereinafter explained the invention with particular reference toan apparatus or form of embodiment specially adapted for treating wire,

and particularly for cleaning copper or steel wire in preparation forenameling. In such work, trouble in the enameling bath is frequentlyencountered because cleaning methods used have not been thorough enoughto remove from the wire all the oil remaining on it from the drawingoperation, and the enameled product has not been uniform, either indiameter or in dielectric strength of the enamel coating. By myinvention,

- however, the wire can be thoroughly cleaned veryeasily andinexpensively; troubles in enameling are avoided; and the final productis very uniform.

In the drawings. Fig. I is a side view of the apparatus, partly inelevation and partly in vertical section, with the front tank wallbroken away and one of the internal frame plates removed, but with thebrush-driving connections intact; and,

Fig. 11 is a side view at right angles to Fig. I,

with most of the parts broken away or in section,

as indicated by the line II-'II in Fig. I.

As here shown, the apparatus comprises a treating vessel in the form ofa rectangular tank 4 with semi-cylindrical bottom 5. This tank 4 issupported by framework comprising a horizontal rectangular angle frame 6extending around it, angle uprights or legs I at its corners,

with their upper ends engaged under the angle 6, anda rectangular baseframe of horizontal angles 8 and 9. The upper edge of the tank 4 has anexternal angle rim ID on which a cover plate ll may be mounted andsecured, partially 5 'closing its top and minimizing access of air tothe interior of the tank, as well as opportunity mounted in bearingsupports or frames preferably depending from the cover. The worker wireW enters and leaves the tank 4 through suitable openings or slots i8inits cover II. From the exit guide I3, the wire W is shown passingdownward (on its'way to the enameling equipment, 0 I

not shown) through supplemental cleaning means 20 adapted to have ascraping or wiping act-ion: e. g., between hard wool-felt pads 2|, 2|held in channeled pressure plates mounted on guide studs 22 and pressedtogether by helical 2 compression springs 23 acting against abutmentnuts 24 on said studs. The studs 22 and the whole device 20 aresupported by U-brackets 25 mounted on the side of the tank 4, andsecured to its rim l0 and frame-6.

There is also shown an external guide device or roll 26 rotatablymounted in bearing brackets 21 on a base member 8, receiving ahorizontal run of the wire W (as from the drawing equipment, not shown),and dlrecting it upward to the en- 35 trance guide [2. During itspassage through the tank 4, and especially during its run across theinterior between the guides l5 and IS, the work W is treated and cleanedwith the solvent, as

- hereinafter described. No specialprovisions for 4 drawing the wirethrough the apparatus are shown, since this may bedone by nip rollsorthe like in the enameling plant;

Solvent orcleaning fluid in the tank [may be heated (and vaporized) byany suitable heating 5 means, such'as a steam jacket 30 on its bottom 5,with steam inlet and outlet connections 3|, 32, and condensation dripconnection 33. The tank 4 also has a drainage outlet connection 34extending down through the jacket 30. Around the 'upper portion of thetank 4 is a cold-water-jacket condenser 35, mounted on the supportingframe 6. The vapor evolved from the heated liquid in the tank bottom 5fills the interior of the apps ratus up to the lower portion of theJacket 35, M

' which condenses it and prevents it from accumulating to the point ofoverflow and escape at the cover openings Hi. There is also a condenser36, consistingof an elongated helical'coiled cold water pipe coil,arranged in the midst of the tank, preferably below the condenser 35 butabove the horizontal run of the work W across the tank, which likewiseserves to prevent vapor from accumulating to the point of overflow. Inaddition, the pure condensate from this condenser 36 is delivered orsupplied for treating the work W. By means of a horizontal drippan ortray 31 interposed between the condenser 36 and the hori zontal run ofthe work W, the condensate may be caught and collected, and directed tothe work W as desired.

In the present instance, the condensateis applied to the wire W notmerely by allowing it to flow over thewire, or immerse the latter, butby also. rubbing or brushing it in contact with the wire. For thispurpose-there are'revolving wire brushes 4!), 4| above and below thehorizontal run of the wire W, and corresponding-guide and supportingplates or bars 42, 43 below and above the wire opposite the brushes. Theedges of these guide plates42, 43 are reduced or rounded away from thewire W, as by bending back their margins, and the guides are mounted onangle bar supports 44, 45. vThe active facesof theguides 42, 43 are solocated vertically, relative to one another and to the guides 5, l6,that each of them deflects the wire W somewhat from its path asotherwise determined. The upper guide 43 has longitudinal slot openings46 to allow solvent to pass therethrough to the wire W and the subjacentbrush 4|. As shown, the drip pan 31has in its bottom double troughdepressions 41, 41

parallel to the guides 42, 43, with longitudinal slot openings 48, 48through which the condensate drips and runs down inclined shed plates50, (welded to the pan 31) to the upper brush 40 and 'the opening 46 inthe upper guide 43.

' the shafts or trunnions 56, 51 for the guide rolls l5, l6 and for thebrushes 40, 4| are mounted in (anti-friction ball) bearings 58 in theside-frames 54, 55. For driving the brushes '46, 4|, there is shown anupright shaft 60, mounted in (antifriction ball) bearings 6|, 62.outside the frame 54, connected to the brush shafts 51 by helicalgearing 63, and extending up through the cover into a gear box 64 on thecover, where it is connected by bevel gearing 65 to a drive shaft 66mounted in (anti-friction ball) bearing brackets 61, 61 on the cover.The shaft 66 may be driven by any suitable means or source of power (notshown). The shaft 60 is located between. the brush shafts 51, 51 todrive the brushes 46, 4 above and below the wire W in oppositedirections, so that they both brush the wire contrary to its directionof movement as indicated by the arrows in Fig. I. The upper (thrust)bearing 6| for the shaft 60 is mounted on an angle bracket 68 fastenedto the cover, while the lower bearing 62 is mounted directly on the sideframe 54.

The horizontally elongated condenser coil 36 ismounted and supportedbetween the side frames 54, 65 by water supply and discharge pipe con-.tending through elongated slots'in the' vertical nections 10, 1|extending down through the cover II and inward through the frame 55, andby a bracket 12 secured (bolted) to the plate 54, and provided with,spacing lugs 13 to engage between the coil 'convolutions. The drip pan31 may have 5 its end walls or flanges bolted directly to the sideframes 54, 55, as at 14. The guide-plate supporting angles 44, 45 havetheir ends secured tothe side, frames 54, 55 by clamping bolts exflangesof the angles and through inward projecting lugsor brackets 16 on theframes: this allows for vertical adjustment of the brushing guide plates42,43'to compensate for wear on the brushes.

As best shownin Fig. 11, water supply and discharge pipes-80, 8| arerigidlyconnected to op-' posite sides (and corners) of the tankcondensingjacket-ring 35, the former at its bottom and the latter at itstop. Branches 82, 83 of these pipes 30, 8| extend upward to serve theinner condenser 36, and are connected to its inlet and outlet pipes 10,1| by flexible tube connections 84, 85, readily detachable to facilitateremoval of the cover I and the associated parts when desired. Controlvalves 86, 81 in the connections 82, 83 permit this to be done withoutshutting off the supply and discharge of the outer condensing'jacket 35;so that ifsteam is left on the solvent-heater jacket when the cover I isremoved, the solvent vapor 30' will 'still' beprevented fromoverflowingout of the tank 4 while the cover is off.

A mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The cover and associated parts having been removed, the wires W are.rove through, around the rolls and between the brushes 40, 4| and theirguides 42, 43; and solvent to about the depth indicated by the line L-is placed in the tank 4.

The cover having then been replaced, steam 4c is supplied to the jacket30 and water to the condensers 35; 36. The solvent vapor fills theapparatus above the condenser 36, and the pure condensate drips into thepan 31 and runs down on the brushes 40, 4| guides 42, 43, and wire W.The brushes 40, 4| have been started, and the wire W being drawn throughthe apparatus by any suitable means (not shown), the wire W is brushedwith the pure solvent and thus thoroughly cleaned of grease and .dirt;and any dirt or solid particles that may remain on it as it emerges fromthe apparatus are scraped or wiped off at 20. Thus the wire enters Etheenameling operation thoroughly clean; and an even, adherent enamelcoating of uniform on without difficulty.

' When an objectionable amount of dirt had accumulated in the tank 4,its contents would be drawn off at 34, and the solvent purified (as bydistillation) beforereuse.

The apparatus can also be used with an aqueous solvent solution insteadof a chlorinated or other such solvent. In this case, the condenser andpan 31 and associated parts would be superfluous, and could be omittedor disused, as well asthe condenser 35. The aqueous cleaning solutionwould be used in greater quantity, so as, to stand above the lower brush4|. Revolving. felt rollers would preferably be substituted for thesimple felt pads at 20, and a clean'water rinse 7 tank might beinterposed between them and the exit guide l3. Having thus described myinvention, I claim:-- 1. Apparatus of the character described, fortreating wire with volatile solvent whose vapor 7 lity is secured 55'-is heavier than air, closed to exclude air and retain the vapor, butopen tor the continual passage of the wire into'and out of the same, andcomprising a vessel for the solvent, means for guiding the wiretherethrough as aforesaid, with an intermediate pass or run across theinterior of the vessel, means for condensing the solvent vapor in thevessel and delivering the condensate upon said intermediate run of thewire, revolving brushes above and below said intermediate run forbrushing it with the solvent, and a common upright drive shaft for saidbrushes extending down from the vessel top between the brush shafts anddirectly geared-to both of them, so as to drive them oppositely.

2. Apparatus of the character described, for treating wire with volatilesolvent whose vapor is heavier than air, closed to exclude air andretain the vapor, but open for the continual passageof the wire into andout of the same, and comprising a vessel for the solvent, means forguiding the wire therethrough as aforesaid, with an intermediate pass orrun across the interior of the vessel, deflectors above and below saidintermediate run of the wire, each so located as to deflect the wirefrom its path as otherwise for the solvent; a removable cover for saidvesm sel; external-guide means on. said cover for guiding the wiredownward and upward into and out of the vessel; side frames extendingdown from said cover within the vessel; guide means for the wire mountedbetween said side frames, and at 15 fording the wire a run across theinterior of the vessel; means between said side frames for condensingthe solvent vapor anddelivering the condensate for treating the wire;revolving brushes for brushing said run of the wire with the sol-320vent mounted between said side frames; and an upright drive shaft forsaid brushes mounted on the outer; side of one of said side frames. andextending up through the cover.

CLARENCE F. DINLEY.

